Buying an imported or grey import car

An imported car can be a sound buy, but its history in the UK starts on the day it was registered here. Everything before that, including its mileage, servicing and any accident damage, needs paperwork from the country it came from. Before you buy, confirm the car was approved and registered properly, ask for the foreign history and translate it if needed, and get an insurance quote that declares the import. If the seller cannot show what happened before the car arrived, price that gap in or walk away.

Grey imports and parallel imports

The two terms are used loosely, but they mean different things.

• A grey import is a car built for another market, often outside Europe, and brought into the UK privately rather than through the maker's UK dealer network. It may have different equipment, lights, instruments or software from the UK version of the same model.
• A parallel import is a car built to a European specification and brought in from another country by an independent dealer, often because it was cheaper there. It is usually much closer to the UK version.

Some imports are classic or older cars brought in by enthusiasts. Others are nearly new cars bought abroad. The checks are similar.

How to tell a car was imported

Sellers do not always say. These are the clues.

• Year of manufacture and first registration. The DVLA vehicle enquiry service on GOV.UK shows both the date of first registration and the year of manufacture. A gap of more than a year or so between them is worth asking about.
• A Q registration. DVLA gives a Q registration number to a vehicle whose age or identity is in doubt. GOV.UK says the vehicle must pass a type approval process to get one, and any original registration number becomes invalid. A Q plate does not always mean an import, but it always means a question about the car's past.
• The MOT history. A car older than three years whose MOT history starts late, or with a first test long after the build year, may have arrived from abroad. Our guide on how to read MOT history explains the record.
• The car itself. Foreign-language labels and screens, a speedometer that reads mainly in kilometres per hour, a left-hand drive layout, or equipment the UK model never had.
• The VIN. The first characters identify the manufacturer and region. A VIN that does not fit a UK-market car can point to an import. Our VIN guide explains the format.

The history gap before UK registration

GOV.UK's MOT history service covers tests in Great Britain from 2005, and in Northern Ireland from 2017. It shows nothing from before a car came to the UK. Neither do UK records of finance or write-offs, in most cases.

That leaves three risks:

1. Mileage. A car can arrive with a wound-back odometer, or with a reading in kilometres that was later shown as miles. Ask for the foreign registration papers, any export certificate, and service records from the country of origin. Check that the first UK MOT reading fits them. Our guide to clocked cars covers what else to look for.
2. Accident damage. A car written off abroad may not carry a UK write-off record. GOV.UK says that a vehicle classed as seriously damaged cannot be registered in the UK. That means a vehicle that cannot be repaired, which the foreign registration certificate may describe as a statutory write-off, scrapped or non-repairable. A car repaired abroad after lesser damage can still be registered. A car with a hidden past may still slip through, so see the car and ask a mechanic to inspect it. Our guide to write-off categories covers what to look for.
3. Finance and theft abroad. A UK history check mainly covers UK records. Ask the seller how the car was bought and imported, and ask for the paperwork.

How the car was allowed onto UK roads

A car brought into the UK has to go through several steps before it can be driven here. GOV.UK lists them: tell HM Revenue and Customs within 14 days that the vehicle has arrived, make an import declaration and pay VAT and customs duty if HMRC says they are due, get vehicle approval to show it meets safety and environmental standards, register and tax it with DVLA, and insure it.

Vehicle approval

GOV.UK says that if a vehicle was first registered or manufactured more than 10 years ago, it might not need approval, though there are exceptions. Newer imports usually do. The routes GOV.UK describes include Individual Vehicle Approval (IVA) for cars from outside the EU, and for cars from the EU a European Certificate of Conformity from the manufacturer, with a GB conversion IVA certificate for left-hand drive cars.

Ask the seller for the approval certificate and the import paperwork. A car that is registered and taxed has been through DVLA, but the approval paperwork tells you what was checked and what was changed, such as the lights or the speedometer.

Insurance and running costs

• Insurance. Tell your insurer the car is an import. Some insurers charge more for imports, especially grey imports, and some will not cover them. Get a quote before you pay. Not declaring it can lead to a claim being refused.
• Parts. A parallel import usually takes the same parts as the UK model. A grey import can need parts that UK dealers do not stock. Ask a specialist garage before you buy how easy it is to get brakes, filters and body panels for that version.
• Servicing and recalls. A UK dealer may not have the car's service history on file, and may not have it on record for recall work done abroad. Ask the seller.
• Car tax. Vehicle tax depends on the date the car was first registered and, for many cars, its CO2 figure or engine size. An imported car may not have the same data on record as the UK version. Our car tax check explains how tax is worked out.

Questions to ask the seller

• When did the car come to the UK, and from where?
• Do you have the foreign registration papers, export certificate and service records?
• Do you have the approval certificate, and what was changed for UK use?
• Was the car ever damaged, repaired or written off abroad?
• Has it had any recall work, and where?

Then do the usual checks in our guide on how to check a car's history, and the logbook checks in our V5C guide.

Frequently asked questions

What is a grey import car?

A car built for a market outside the UK, often outside Europe, and brought into the UK privately rather than through the maker's UK dealers.

How can I tell if a car is imported?

Compare the date of first registration with the year of manufacture on the DVLA record, look for a Q registration, check when the MOT history starts, and look for foreign labels, screens or a kilometre speedometer.

Are imported cars harder to insure?

Often. Some insurers charge more for imports, and some will not cover grey imports. Always declare the import and get a quote before you buy.

Does an imported car have MOT history from abroad?

No. The GOV.UK MOT history only shows tests in the UK. Ask the seller for inspection records from the country the car came from.